Chron Letters: May 2

Published:08:32Sunday 05 May 2013

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I am frequently reading just recently about the amount of litter in Northampton and particularly on the verges at the sides of roads. These reports generally seem to intimate that the problem is due to people throwing litter out of their car windows.

My impression on this is that a lot of the blame should actually be taken by the recycling vehicles that travel our roads.

Regularly I travel on the A45 between Northampton and Wellingborough and often pass these vehicles. The majority of them are huge affairs with no covers on the top. A lot of the time there is rubbish blowing out of them in a constant stream between Northampton and Wellingborough. Just looking at the sort of rubbish that is caught up in trees and shrubs at the side of the road would suggest that the majority of this is not general rubbish thrown from cars.

A large proportion of the rubbish appears to be pieces of huge polythene – possibly covers from items in lorries not general rubbish thrown from car windows. The area between Wilby and Earls Barton is absolutely disgusting.

Please can someone investigate this and take action against the recycling firms and the haulage carriers. The recycling firms must be laughing all the way to the bank. They are being paid to take away the recycling the first time round, it then blows all over the roads from their own transport, only to be collected again and then, presumably, taken away a second time by those same recycling firms for another fee. Nice money if you can get it!

On the same subject of litter, can I also suggest that people secure paper and plastic that they leave out each week for the recycling collections. Every week, I see rubbish that has blown from recycling boxes where people have not secured the papers/cardboard within them or are over-filling with plastics. With some slight wind, everything goes everywhere.

On my travels, I have also seen piles of newspapers out in the road in an unsecured box for them to blow everywhere too – brainless!

Janet Wootton

East Hunsbury

Royal Marines

Association for marines needs help

My name is Hugh Macdonald and I am the treasurer of the Northampton Royal Marine Association.

Quite a few years ago we, with the Royal Navy ex members had about 100 members, at a recent meeting we had some seven members turn out to our monthly meeting. Not the best we have ever had.

We have tried to contact the Globe and Laurel, which is a R.M.A. Magazine with not a lot of luck, it seems as though Northampton is of the map for them.

Ex members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines who would be interested in coming along to our monthly meetings, which are held at the RN & RM Club in Lorne Road, Northampton, every second Thursday in the month at 8pm in the evening, The bar is open, and the meetings usually last no more than two hours, and then they can go back to the bar, or home as they wish. This is a call for help, If we do not renew with younger blood, then the association will cease to exist any more. Most of the members are now in their sixties, and new members are needed.

R.M.133082 Marine Hugh Macdonald

Northampton

WILD ANIMALS

Visit local shelters for new animals

Chronicle & Echo readers inspired by Liam Andrews’ bedroom menagerie should note that both wild-caught and domestically raised exotic animals suffer immensely in captivity (“Teenager Liam Proud of Bedroom Menagerie”, April 25). Exotic animals kept as “pets” are often cruelly torn away from their natural homes and families and have usually been shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles in appalling conditions. Those who survive the journey to UK distributors and pet shops are likely to suffer from neglect if sold to someone who isn’t knowledgeable about their specific, complex needs. In even the best case, in which new guardians have some understanding of their animals, a domestic environment can never meet the needs of these animals, which is why three-quarters of all “pet” reptiles in the UK die in their first year in the home. Anyone who is looking to bring an animal companion into their family should visit their local animal shelter, where countless lovable cats and dogs are desperately waiting for forever homes.

Ben Williamson

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

appeal

Search for pictures of Adams House

We are a company based at Adams House in Northampton and wonder if you or your readers have any photographs of our building from many years ago. It was originally the Adams Bakery and we have looked in their book but there are no photographs. Any help your readers may have in this matter would be most appreciated.

Angela Dunmore (Mrs)

Adams House, 1 Adams Avenue, Northampton

Classroom

Classroom is outdoors not indoors

The article “Popular park will soon have an outdoor classroom” may have implied that Heritage Lottery funding awarded to Eco Kids Ltd would be used to build a physical classroom – this is not the case. The Abington Park Outdoor Classroom Project will develop learning resources to help park users to learn more about the parks heritage.